CN Noir: Ed
by 0Frite0
Summary: "I wish Eddy was here..." CN Noir is a murder mystery set within the Cartoon Network Universe. A murderer has killed Ben Tennyson, and ex-bank robber Ed finds himself in the middle of a deal gone wrong with the murderer at the center of it. Can he find out who would be reckless enough to endanger the entire stream? [NOTE: CHECK MY PROFILE FOR LINKS TO CN NOIR STORIES.]
1. Chapter 1

[What is CN Noir? CN Noir is a murder mystery set within the Cartoon Network Universe. It goes beyond a mere crossover, but since there is no Cartoon Network category, I'll be spreading the story over multiple crossovers. If you want to see where the story is going, or catch up on previous chapters, check out my profile to see where to go. You can also see where the canon of the story is, and follow it accordingly. The chapter before this one was: BEAST BOY 01 then BLOSSOM 01]

-Ed-

Pops is yelling at me again.

I'm trying my best to block him out, but as I continue to wipe my favorite spot at the diner's bar, his voice just gets louder and more mean. I wish Eddy was here. Eddy would yell, but at least he'd say I was doing good sometimes too. Eddy is always busy with police stuff nowadays, so he doesn't have time for Ed.

"You'll never amount to nothin' boy! They should have kept your stupid ass in jail. Maybe there ya woulda finally learned something! Instead you're the worst fucking employee I have."

Pops sure likes to tell me how better off in jail I would be. I'm not sure if that's true. In jail, I wasn't able to see my friends. Though, now that I think about… I don't see them now. I get sad as my small strokes wiping the table slow down. Pops shakes his head and walks away from me. Pops is always mean, but he got meaner after the other day. That superhero Beast Boy came in and told Pops to leave me alone. It made me feel good that someone cares about me for once.

I sigh as I finish up my cleaning duties. Pops doesn't seem to notice, so I treat myself to a slice of Buttered Toast. I sit down at the bar area, about to dig in when I notice something out of the corner of my eye.

There's a man sitting at a booth staring at me. He's a large man, round at the stomach. He has a bald head but a large, fluffy red beard. He's wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses. He sees me staring back and looks out the window. The glare from the setting sun blocks out his eyes.

I decide to go over and talk to the man. I wipe my dirty hands on my apron and walk over to him. "Hi, my name is Ed! What's-"

"Not so loud. Sit down." He mumbles out, lifting his hand to his face.

"W-what?" I ask. This guy is acting pretty weird. I lift my hand to my face, scratching under the little bit of scruff I have under my small chin. I smile at him, to make him feel more comfortable, but he just shakes his head at me.

"Ed, sit down. I know who you are. I know that you and your boys Eddy and Edd used to knock over armored trucks and banks. I know all about you three. You want to listen to what I have to say, so sit down."

I sit down. I can feel my palms becoming sweaty. It's like they do when Pops yells at me or when the comic book shop opens. How does this guy know about Eddy and Edd? Eddy was so good at keeping his secret he was able to become a policeman. I breath slowly, looking straight at the man, "W-who are you?"

"My name is Dexter. You know who I am."

"DEXTER-" I yell out. Dexter's hand reaches up to grab my mouth before I get my words out. I gasp against his hand, muffling another, "Dexter!" Through his fingertips, just in case he didn't hear me. Then I realize... He's trying to be secretive or something. I nod at him, giving him a wink to let him know how sneaky secret I can be.

Dexter rolls his eyes at me, shaking his head as he takes his glasses off his face, "Listen Ed. I have a job for you. You got a reputation inside for being good muscle and being faithful to the job. I can't discuss details here, but I'd like for you to do a job with me."

I pause, looking at him as he pulls his hand away from my mouth. I look down to the table, trying to put things together. This doesn't make sense. How does he know about my past? How does he know about Eddy? I didn't tell anybody about those secrets. Even in prison I did what Eddy said I should do, 'Keep your trap shut.'

I lift my eyes back to him. He's just staring at me. "H-How do you know so much about me? About Eddy?" I glance over to Pops. He's giving me his mad look. I know what that means. He wants me to get back to work.

Dexter smiles. He scratches under his beard, giving a nod towards the door. "You smoke right? Come outside and we'll talk."

I follow him as he steps out of the booth. He's much shorter than me, but then again I'm really tall. I stand a few feet over him, walking slowly after him as he waddles towards the front door. His feet give this weird shuffling sound as we make our way out.

He brings me to the middle of Pops' parking lot. We light up and he starts talking, "After I got cut from the stream, I was broke. I had all the knowledge and a lab to use it in, but nothing of value… No money. Once I graduated high school I skipped college and started building a new lab. My lab at my parents place was too open, too exposed… I started fresh, made a business plan and got in touch with some contacts." He pauses to take a puff, "I learned about you and your crew while searching through these lists. It stated that you were in prison, Edd was dead and that Eddy was now a part of the TPD."

"But… But Eddy kept that super secret-"

"Just because he wasn't convicted doesn't mean people didn't have their suspicions. Most people who have studied your crew know that Eddy was the third man. There just wasn't enough to bring him in when the job went sour. Plus, Eddy walked away with the loot. He was able to buy himself in anywhere. What better place than the law? Let me ask you something Ed. Have you ever seen a cent of that loot you spent so much time in jail for?"

I feel myself getting angry. Like I do when there's a rock in my shoe or something. I give him a frown and a furrowed brow, "That's not true! Eddy's my friend! He cares for me!"

"When's the last time you saw him?"

"W-what?"

"The last time you saw him. The last time you talked to him. I know it hasn't been in the last few days, because I have people watching you. He hasn't called, he hasn't written, hell he hasn't even googled you." I begin to realize that this Dexter person has a lot more smarts than me. He has smart people working for him. He knows everything and more. "Ed, your faithfulness is commendable, it really is, but you're giving it to the wrong person. Eddy is a lying, cheating, sneaky shit of a detective, and you don't deserve to be treated like that by him." I begin to feel a heaviness in my chest, like someone hit me with a hammer. Everything he says is right. Everything I feel now is what he's saying. Its like he can see into me and read me.

I sit down. Dexter does a light jog over to me, lowering a hand on my shoulder, "Ed, I want to offer you something where you can make some real money. Something that can give you a chance at a new life, not scrubbing away at Pops' dirty dishes. All I need you for is a day's worth of work, that's all. You'll make enough money so you don't have to worry ever again."

I don't know. I don't know what to think. I wish Double D was here. He would tell me if this is a good idea or a bad idea. I don't feel smart enough, or wise enough to think of a right answer. Dexter pulls me to my feet. He grunts, giving a wipe of his brow as he stands up.

Fuck it...

I feel as if my world has opened up just a bit. I dust myself off, taking off my apron and throwing it down onto the ground. I look up to Dexter, taking a long drag on my smoke before snubbing that out as well. "What's the job?" I ask, giving a small smile.

Dexter claps his hands ecstatically, "That's what I'm talking about!" He comes around and slaps me on the back. He then reels back, looking towards his hand with a pained expression, "Jesus, you really are build like a rock, aren't you?" He laughs it off, leading me on to his SUV. I follow behind, ignoring Pops as I hear him burst through the front door of his Diner, yelling for me.

Dexter pop's the back door to his black SUV, leaning inside to draw out a duffel bag. He opens it up.

I stagger back a bit at what he shows me. It's completely full of money with a Glock sitting on top of it. He reaches in and hands me the Glock, "That's for you. You won't need it, but its better to be safe. This money is 25%. You'll get the rest when the job is done." He looks towards me to see if I have any questions. I feel like I'm in school again, disappointing my teachers.

"Uhm… How much is that?"

"10,000 in tens and twenties. This job means a lot to me. Its the beginning of a strong relationship with a future client." He stares at me for a moment, then looks around the car park, "I deal in high tech weaponry and armor Ed. The kind you see on TV and movies. I was always building inventions and gadgets in my lab that were applicable for military use, but I don't want the fucking government getting it's grubby hands on my work. I rather deal in small increments. This deal is one of those increments that'll evolve into a beautiful friendship. Like we have now." He reaches out to shake my hand.

I shake it hesitantly. He nods, zipping up the bag again and handing it to me. "I'll have someone come pick you up at eight AM tomorrow. Dress down so we don't draw attention. Got it?"

"Y-yes sir."

"That's what I like to hear Ed!" And before I can ask another question, he's in his SUV pulling away. I look down at the gun and realize I'm holding a gun. I shove it in the back of my pants, biting my lip to make sure a cop isn't around.

As I watch Dexter drive away, I realize my stomach is still churning. I turn around towards Pops' Diner and head back inside. Pops is glaring at me once I come in. His arms are crossed and he's tapping his foot. "You done with your break boy? Cause I have about a hundred dishes that need washing."

I'm feeling pretty good, so I walk past Pops and return to my spot. He looks at me with shock as I ignore him. My buttered toast is still there, but the butter has soaked the toast into a soggy shape. I shrug, lifting my fork and stabbing it in one swift stroke. I then lift it to my mouth and swallow it whole. Gulping it down, I turn towards Pops. "Now I'm done!"

"You're treading on thin ice Ed. Any other manager would have fired you for walking out on your tables and talking to some drug dealer. What's he selling ya huh? Is that's what's in the bag?"

I clutch the bag to my chest. He's not looking in my bag. "I-It's not drugs Pops." I stand up from my chair, ready to get up and leave.

"No one brings drugs into my diner. Give me that bag!"

"No!"

Pops lunges for my bag, pulling on the strap to try and free it from my grasp. A few of the customers are looking on amused as Pops tries to wrestle the bag from my grasp. I give a snarl, yanking it back away from him. He starts towards me again.

I take a few steps back, avoiding Pops as he slinks ever closer to me. I see a way to run around some of the inner tables, so I make a go for it, sprinting around towards the front door and bursting outside before Pops can even react. I'm already sprinting down the street towards home when I hear Pops from behind me, hanging his head out from the front door, "You're fired Ed! You're fired! Don't ever come back.!"

That's ok with me.

After I find my way to my apartment, I push the pizza and comics off my bed to look at the money. I zip open the bag, peering at all the cash. Eddy would freak if he saw this. I take out a stack, flipping though bill after bill. This is more money than I've ever seen! I could maybe live to be an old man with this money. I think… How much money do old men need? I zip the duffel bag up and push it under my bed.

I sit down and think. I pull the gun from my pants, looking at it. Guns were lighter than I remembered. Maybe its because I got a lot more strong when I was in prison. I slide the clip out from the grip. Sixteen… Seventeen… Uh, a lot of bullets were in there. I load the pistol back up and cock it, setting it on my bedside table.

How did Dexter know so much about me? Is there something in my room that could have told him what I was doing? What I was thinking? I scratch my head, turning on the TV as I think. The news is rambling about a kidnapping or something. I'm not really watching. I'm gazing around my room, curious about what my room is telling to strangers.

As the TV rambles on about the kidnapping victim, bringing out her two crying sisters for the camera, I find myself drifting off to sleep. I let my eyes close slowly, getting a last glimpse of the victim. She's got black hair and green eyes… She's kind of punky…

I awake to my phone ringing. I pull out my cell and answer. "Showtime. Get your things. We're waiting out front."

I quickly shoot up, making my way to my closet to put on a new pair of clothes. Dress down, dress down. I guess he means baggy clothes right? I put on a pair of baggy pants and my old green jacket that's still way too big for me. Baggy enough now. I tighten my belt, put on my sneakers and then stuff my gun in my pants.

As I make my way downstairs, I notice a younger man awaiting me. He's a blonde with blue eyes. He has a small goatee and is wearing a Hawaiian shirt with slacks. He gives me a nod, taking a small toke on a joint before stubbing it out, "Johnny. You?"

"Uh, Ed."

"Welcome." He then turns towards the street. I follow him outside, finding Dexter sitting in the passenger seat of a black sedan. He turns to me, "We're meeting the shipment truck on the freeway. Get in."

I hop in the back, scooting over to let Johnny in. The driver is someone I don't recognize. He's got black hair and what looks like to be a robotic arm coming from the sleeve of his red jacket.

Its silent for a while in the car. Dexter doesn't speak to me and the other two don't speak to me. I lean forward, placing my hand on Dexter's shoulder, "Uhm, who are these guys?"

"Oh, my apologies. To your right is Johnny Test. You may know him from the stream." Dexter looks behind him, giving a smirk to Test as he frowns at Dexter. Test leans forward, "Don't tell this idiot my name Dex. I'm only doing this for my sisters."

Dexter ignores him, "Test's sisters are looking for ways to advance their technology in their lab, and I offered to help in exchange for Test's services." Johnny Test doesn't seem to be happy about this exchange. He lights up another joint, turning away to look out the window. Dexter coughs a bit, "Put that out you idiot." Test rolls down his window and flicks out the joint.

I look to the driver. Dexter reaches over and pats him on the back, "This, my friend, is Generator Rex." Dexter then frowns, "Rex, your arm is showing."

Rex turns to his arm, "Huh? Oh right…" His arm then starts to morph to a normal arm.

"Rex is looking to upgrade his nanites. A feat I'm very willing to do, if he does his job right."

It seems like everyone under Dexter's hand has something they need. I guess money is what I need but… Am I that simple?

We pull over on the side of the freeway behind a small white truck. The man inside the truck hops out. He's unfamiliar. He then walks to the curb and then hops the fence, walking away on foot. "That's you Ed. Get in the truck and follow us."

"Oh, uh… Ok."

I get out of the car and approach the truck. Once Dexter's crew are back on the road, I follow quickly behind.

We eventually drive out of Townsville and continue towards the countryside. It's not long before we're on a long stretch of road. Further down, a couple of black SUVs sit waiting for us. We pull over and Dexter walks over towards my cab, "Ready?" I nod, "What do you wanna do?"

"I'll stay with the van, if that's alright Dexter…" I tell him. He thinks for a moment, giving a nod and slapping the side of the cab. "Good man. When I wave, come up."

Dexter walks away from the truck, making his way back to the black sedan. He pops the trunk, pulling out what seems to be two black rifles. I panic for a moment, thinking that Dexter is about to shoot them. But he grips them from the stock, walking over to three people who have appeared in the distance.

The person in the middle has a beanie on his head. Its… Its hard to tell from where I am, but something's up with his face. He's kind of lanky, but moves forward to meet Dexter. He's holding what looks to be a briefcase. He shows Dexter from afar and then points to one of his vans.

The two who are following him have distinct styles. One is a black girl with a blue tank top on. She takes one of the rifles and inspects it. The other is a blond white guy with a orange hoodie. He takes the other one. Dexter and the beanie man shake hands when Dexter's become free.

Dexter and the beanie man talk for a while. It goes on for a few minutes before Dexter looks back to me and waves. I start the engine, pulling up towards the middle of the trade off. I get a better look at the three. The man in the middle looks familiar, but he has a horrible burn scar that stretches along his face and what seems to be his hand.

I get out of the car and walk over towards Dexter.

"Ed?"

I lift my head when I hear my name called. The man in the beanie is staring at me with wide eyes. I focus on him, giving a blink as I realize who it is.

"The fuck is this? You trying to fuck with me?" Edd pulls a revolver from his pocket and points it at Dexter.

Dexter lifts his hands defensively going, "Whoa whoa whoa…"

Suddenly, everyone is pulling their weapons. I look back to see Rex and Johnny nervously pointing their guns from behind the sedan. Edd's men do the same. They throw down Dexter's rifles and draw their weapons.

"Double D?! I thought you were dead!" I yell out, raising my hands in surrender as I walk towards the three. Edd drifts his pistol over to me. I stop once he points it towards me, "Yeah, I thought I was too. But you two ASSHOLES left me in that burning van! Its a miracle I escaped at all." His hand is shaking.

He grits his teeth, walking over to me as he presses the barrel of his gun to my head. "I don't know why you always listened to Eddy. He was a moron. Even when you could see me trapped inside, begging for help, you still followed him when he told you to ditch me… We are… We were friends Ed." I try to stay focused on what Edd is saying, but its hard when a gun is pressed to your head. I feel my legs shaking from under me. "So what is this? Trying to fuck the deal up by bringing him here?"

"No! Not at all! This is just a coincidence!" Dexter yells, stepping up, "I thought you were dead too… How was I supposed to know you've been in hiding all this time?"

"Aren't you Dexter? Boy genius?"

"I swear, I had no idea that you were still alive. I mean, I had heard rumors, but if I based my business on the trust of rumors, I wouldn't be in business that long."

"Well, my superior has his ways of making people like me disappear." Edd responds, lowering his gun. He looks back to me, "I hate you Ed, but I can't kill you. We've known each other too long. If you see Eddy, tell him to fuck himself." He pushes his revolver in in his pocket, looking towards his two guards. "Its alright Four and Five. Lower your guns…"

Dexter looks to me and then looks back towards his men. The two nod and walk forward, lowering their guns as well.

I want to tell him I'm sorry, that he's right. I shouldn't have listened to Eddy. Edd gives me the coldest look as he's walking away. I lower my head in shame, my hands falling by my sides. I can't say it.

There's a tug behind me. I feel something leave my trousers. Then I see that I've grown a third arm- No, that's Dexter.

Dexter fires a shot at Edd, hitting him in the back of the head. His head pops with gore, his blood and brains splashing against one of his black SUVs. His arms go up as if trying to catch something, but they twitch and go lifeless as he tumbles forward. I stand still. I don't know… I don't know what's happening.

Then a barrage of gunfire explodes on both my sides. Rex and Test are moving to either side of me, unloading on Four and Five with their handguns. The two fall forward, trying to reel back to shoot at Dexter and his crew. But it's too late. Rex and Test continue to approach the two, emptying their clips into their bodies as they stand over them.

I lose my legs… I can't… As Edd slumps against the SUV, he falls backwards, giving me a look at his face. His eyes are lifeless, mouth agape. He's dead. I'm on my knees, staring at Edd's body.

"Ok, that's taken care of. Get the money."

I crawl towards Edd's body, on my hands and knees as I feel a wetness in my eyes. I'm finding it hard to breathe as I get closer, as if I'm out in space without a space helmet. I place a hand on Edd, giving him a shake, "E-Edd? Double D?"

"Ed. Get away from him." I look behind me to see Dexter watching me, still gripping my pistol. Rex and Test are already moving the cash, taking duffel bag after bag. I place my hand on Edd's chest. I can feel his revolver inside. Its been a while… But I could...

Suddenly, there's a knock on the truck of one of the SUVs. Someone's in there. The four of us stop and look at it. Dexter speaks up, "Ed, see what that is."

Every ounce of me wants to take Double D's gun and murder that bastard Dexter. I lift my sleeve to my eyes, wiping my tears from my face. Dexter rolls his eyes, pointing his gun loosely at me, "Go on…"

I stand up, walking towards the SUV where the shaking is coming from. I open the trunk and look inside.

It's a girl. In fact… It's a girl I recognize.

Dexter walks over to me when he notices my surprise. He reels back with a grunt as he sees her. "Who the fuck is that?" He asks me… Like we're still friends…

"Its the Powerpuff Girl from TV. The one who got kidnapped by the Ben 10 killer…" I mumble out, looking down at her. Her big green eyes stare up at me. She muffles out what sounds like a, 'Help me.' She's scared… She's scared more than I remember her ever being. Aren't these girls supposed to be super powered? She has seen better days, that's for sure. She stares up at us, bound by the mouth and arms, wiggling around inside the trunk. Her face looks beaten, red spots bleeding on her face from where some piercings were yanked from her. There are some burns on her body as well...

Dexter grumbles, placing the gun in my hand. "We don't need any witnesses. Kill her." I look to him with a blank stare, "What? Oh don't give me that. You and your crew killed plenty of people when you were robbing banks and ripping people off. What's one more? What's cutting ties with bad blood?"

"Double D wasn't bad blood…"

"Whatever. We can't have her knowing what happened here. If word got out, I'd be done. Get rid of her and grow up." He starts to walk away, turning his back to me. Rex and Test are over by the truck.

My body is shaking with rage. I thought Dexter might understand me. That he might help me. He's just using me to his own ends… Like people always do. I raise my gun towards Dexter, my hand shaking.

"Boss! Lookout!"

I fire two shots. One hits Dexter through the leg, forcing him to collapse in a sudden burst of pain and agony. The other hits him in the gut. Dexter's down for the count for now. I reach in and grab the Powerpuff Girl by her arm, tugging her out of the trunk and sliding her behind the car.

As I duck behind it, I suddenly hear bullets firing in my direction. There are hard pings and pangs against the frame of the SUV. Peppered in with the loud screams of Dexter's pain. I smile to myself a bit. I'm feeling like the old me again. Buttercup is just staring at me.

I wait for a pause in the shooting and then reach over the SUV, firing randomly out towards the white truck. After a few shots to suppress, I stand up and aim. Test is firing from behind the white truck, but he's blind firing. Can't hit him. Where's Rex?

I hear a muffled yelp and then from the corner of my eye I see a smirking Rex marching towards me, ready to fire. Buttercup juts out her leg, tripping Rex before me. The gun clumsily slides away from him, and he lays forward at my feet.

I point the barrel down towards Rex, lifting my hand to my face to avoid getting gore in my eyes. Buttercup wiggles in her spot, muffling a scream. I pull the trigger as he tries to scramble to get up. The bullet blasts open Rex's head, splattering his blood across my jacket and shirt. Buttercup gets some too, and it looks like it visibly sickens her. She turns away, closing her eyes with a shiver.

After dealing with Rex, I peek from the SUV, trying to get a good look at Johnny. I don't see him…

Then I hear an engine start. The white truck pulls back a bit, turns, and then starts driving away. I stand up to see Johnny Test leave his boss in the middle of the road while he takes off in a van full of advanced hardware. I sigh, realizing that it's over.

I walk over to Buttercup, pulling a switchblade out from my pocket. She flinches, pulling back, "Its ok, I'm not gonna hurt you." I tell her, cutting her binds and mouth gag.

She stands up slowly, rubbing her arm as she turns away from me. "Thanks…" She walks off a bit, trying to get away from the mess before her. I turn back to Dexter. He's crawling towards the black sedan, a small trail of blood following him from behind. I approach him, gun in hand. He turns to me…

"W-Wait! Ed! Just wait a second…" He lifts his hand. "I get it, ok, I get it you're pissed about Edd. But we can work this out. Those SUVs are filled with money. 5 Million dollars worth in untraceable bills. You take it. Take all of it. Just leave me with a cell phone, and we'll never see each other again… I won't come after you or nothing."

I poise my gun towards him, aiming right for his head.

"Don't do this Ed! I'm your only friend out here… You can't trust Johnny to not hold a grudge, and you sure as hell can't trust that Powerpuff. Why was she in the trunk anyways?" He holds his wound, breathing hard. "G-give me a chance here Ed, I'm begging you…"

I move forward, getting closer with the gun, "Why did you kill Edd? What was the meaning? He was ready to do the deal!"

Dexter lifts his hand to me, panting hard in fear, "Ok ok… Listen. I knew that guy was going to be Double D, alright? I knew he was going to be here. And I knew that he would let his guard down once he saw you. It was a move. It was a stupid play, and I'm sorry, ok? I never planned to sell Double D those guns. They're fake. I was waiting for a deal to pop up so I could score some cash and get my business started. I just figured that you cut ties with your old friends. That you'd be willing to do anything for some money… I was wrong."

Buttercup has approached us. She's hugging herself, looking down towards Dexter. "You were the one who killed Edd?" There's a pause. He nods to her. She then turns to me, tears still in her eyes, "You should let him go."

What?

"He killed my friend!" I yell at her. The road goes quiet with a pause. I feel confused. She doesn't know though. She doesn't get it, "Why should I release the guy who killed one of my best friends?"

"Because your best friend, and the guy he works for, are monsters. And you're starting to look like one too…" She says, wiping her eyes with her arm. "You're the one with the gun though. It's your decision." She then walks off, leaving me to my choice. I look back to Dexter. He's getting paler by the minute.

I take a deep breath, and lower my gun. I can see the tension in Dexter's face literally leave his body like his blood is. I look back to Rex's body, walking over towards him and pushing him over. I dig through his pockets until I find his cell phone. I pick it up and then walk over towards Dexter. I place it on his chest and then walk away, stuffing my gun in my coat pocket.

I look to Buttercup, who's waiting for me, "What now?" She asks, lifting her eyes to me. At least she can look at me now…

"Uhm… I dunno. I'm taking this money, but I can give you a ride somewhere."

"I shouldn't associate with criminals…"

"Oh, ok-"

"But it looks like I don't really have a choice." She says, giving a shrug as she walks up to me. She looks me dead in the eyes. Her eyes are so bright… She's… She's really pretty. I feel myself flush a little and then turn away from her, walking towards one of the SUVs. I stop to look at Edd one more time, "Good bye Double D…" And then continue walking.

Buttercup spits on him.

I slip into the driver's seat, watching as Buttercup gets into the passenger seat. "So, Townsville?" She doesn't respond. I turn on the engine, pulling away from Dexter as he dials a number on the cell phone and presses it to his ear. I pull away, leaving that mess in my rearview mirror. "I guess I'll drop you off at the police station-"

"No, not there."

"W-why?"

She turns to look at me, giving a shiver as she prepares to say it, "Cause he has someone on the inside."


	2. Chapter 2

[WARNING: You will have needed to read the following chapters (In the following Order) for this to make sense. **Beast Boy 01**, **Blossom 01**, **Ed 01 and Beast Boy 02. **If you haven't read those yet, you can find the stories in my profile.]

"You know, you're pretty dumb Ed."

I feel like I've been hearing that my whole life. Hearing it from a Powerpuff Girl doesn't change much. I look up at her as I foolheartedly try and wrap a bandage around her burnt calf. She's smirking down at me, wincing in pain as the bandage slides off.

"Uhm. I-I'll get this right." I tell her, sliding the old bandage off and gathering some new gauze.

We managed to score a hotel room last night. Buttercup didn't want the cops to find her, so she had me put all the money in the hotel room's closet before making me drive the SUV somewhere and ditching it. I walked back in the pouring rain to find her past out in one of the beds. The next day, she figured she needed to dress her wounds before they got any worse. This is where I came in.

She is sitting on the edge of the hotel bathtub; me kneeling down before her. She is holding up her pants leg so that I can wrap her wound, and I can tell its a bit of a hassle for the once super powered human. Not only to take the pain, but to let someone else address it, "Ok Ed, first the ointment first, then the bandage. And do it slow." She whispers softly to me. I look up at her for a moment, catching a bite of her lip as she prepares for the pain. I take a small finger-dab of the medical ointment in my hands and then rub it into the brand that seared her flesh. She jumps and gives a shiver. I then start to dress the wound, wrapping the burn with the gauze. The gauze sticks this time, and her wound stays sealed.

She exhales when she sees the wound properly dressed, giving a nod, "Good job Ed."

I pause for a moment, "So, why were you in the trunk?" I ask, lifting my eyes up to hers. She seems to avoid my gaze, looking towards the toilet on my left. "I mean, d-doesn't that killer guy… Kill people? Why were you spared?" I place my hand on her calf, giving her a reassuring pat as I stand up.

"I wasn't."

"What do you mean?" I ask, standing up to face the sink. I wash my hands of her blood, getting ready to apply another bandage.

"I was in the trunk man… You finding me was clearly luck. Hell, if the deal went without a hitch I probably would have been killed soon afterwards." She says, pointing towards my still bloody shirt.

"Was that the plan?"

"I dunno Ed. They didn't really tell me how they were gonna kill me." She makes an annoyed face towards me, nodding towards the gauze. I lower my head and then nod, taking the ointment and applying some to my fingertips again. She lifts her shirt a bit, showing some of her stomach and rib cage. There's a terrible looking burn at her belly. Another brand. Seems the killer had a brand with the title 'Mine' to burn into her. I wince just looking at it, and she turns away with a sad look in her eye. "It was about control. He wanted to show how weak I could be… How weak I was…"

I press my fingers into the wound. She gasps at the pain, throwing her head back, "Ahh, Ed…" She cries out, lowering a hand to my shoulder. I look up at her. She's crying. I can't tell if she wants me to stop or...

I need to finish the job, pain aside. I continue rubbing in the ointment, making sure the wound is nice and covered with a thin layer of the cream. She groans in her torturous pain, writhing on the edge of the tub. I then pick up the bandage from the medical kit. I place the bandage flat on her belly, covering the brand completely up. She exhales once the job is over, looking down at the wound. She gives a soft smile, seeing how 'mine' is now gone.

I take a swab and dab it in alcohol. I stand up, getting close to her face, "W-what are you doing?" She asks, inching back a bit as I lean in close. I dab the alcohol swab against the cut at her eyebrow, where one of her piercings must have been yanked out. She winces, but keeps her eyes locked with mine. I can see a light blush appearing on her cheeks as I stay… intimately close. I can see her hand rise up, as if about to pull me in closer. She hesitates though, letting it fall back to the tub.

"You're in a band right? I've seen you play a few times before. With the Gangreen Gang guys."

She nods, leaning forward so I can continue my work of cleaning her wounds. "Yeah. I do lead vocals. We're mostly rockabilly, but Grubber likes doin' classical every now and then." Being reminded of her band seems to make her smile. She lowers her eyes from me, looking down at her knees.

I smile, thinking about the spit-tossing Grubber letting loose a glob of saliva over a roaring crowd. They probably loved it. I finish dabbing the cut on her eyebrow, moving down to her lip. I dab it gently, looking right in her eyes again. Her lip quivers at my touch. She's so close to me… I can feel her breath quicken as I finish.

I feel the tension between us rising. I feel like I could go for it, like I could have stolen a… I pull back, throwing the alcohol swab in the sink. She looks down, smiling to herself as I lift a hand to the back of my head. I try to change the subject, "So, uh… Double D."

She tenses up at that. Maybe it was a bad decision to bring him up. She keeps her eyes to the ground, giving a sigh, "What about him?" She lifts a hand to her arm, rubbing it gently as memories of the past seem to drift into her mind.

"What did he do to you?" I ask, closing up the medical kit. I look over to her, her body now almost halfway covered in bandages. She looks like she's out of one of my comic books.

"Well… He didn't DO anything specifically, but he helped." She looked to me, standing up with a wince, "Listen, I know he was your friend, but I can't look at him with any positive feelings in my heart for what he did to me. So, if you're trying to find an angle here… Or a reason why your friend would become such a monstrous pig. Then don't. He just was one…"

She takes a small breath, sliding past me out of the bathroom. I follow her into the room, watching as she walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. She looks out towards the window, watching as the lightning dances its light across the frame, "He was the one who took away my powers. I dunno how he did it, but he gave me some kind of drug… I was out partying with the boys the night before, and I past out like I always do. But, this was different. I didn't wake up with no hangover. I woke up strapped to a gurney."

I walk over towards the other bed, sitting across from her. This was all insane sounding news. If Double D had developed a drug to take away super heroes powers, then he could have been a real threat to not only Buttercup, but other super powered people.

"So, then what happened?" I asked, fingering through the hotel bible on the countertop. I raise my eyes to her, and I see her… She's visibly shaken from her time with the killer. She holds herself, shivering softly as she remembers.

"Then, he handed me off to… him."

"Him?"

"I dunno… I was blindfolded through most of it. They started by just hitting me, you know? Showing me how human I was. I've been beaten up before. When fighting monsters, or bad guys… You know. So I could take that. But when he started branding… When he starting… Burning me." She trails off after that, taking in deep breaths as she softly sobs. She picks up one of the pillows, burying her face into it. "I don't wanna think about it…" She says, muffled by the pillow.

I frown, realizing I'm not much help to this damaged girl. I've never been tortured in my life, even through my time in prison. This girl… She used to be so strong, so powerful. I look at her now and she's a sobbing mess of tears and pain. I wonder if I can hold her. I wonder if I get can get her confidence back.

I look to the stack of money bags in the closet. It's almost funny how they're shoved in there, toppling out from the doorway. I imagine how some lowlife, down on his luck, sitting in the room down the hall thinking of having a better life when one is right next to him in the millions. I notice a paper note sticking out from one of the bags.

I stand up. Buttercup follows me with her eyes, peering up at me as tears trickle down her face. I lean forward, taking her by her arms and hoisting her on her feet. She winces at the slight pain, but follows. I pull her into a tight hug, letting her press against me. I hear her gasp, wiggling around at the tight grip. "Its ok Buttercup! Everything is ok!" I don't know why I'm yelling, but I'm staring forward, eyes focused as her face is buried into my chest.

Then I hear it.

Laughing. She's laughing at me. She parts from my chest, pulling back a bit but still wrapped in my arms as she lays her hands on my chest. She looks up at me, snickering loudly as she speaks, "The hell was that?" She asks, wiping away what tears are left. "Why are you yelling?"

She then lets her hands fall, taking each of my coat's edges in her hands. She swivels around, sliding into me. She turns around, wrapping herself in my coat and pressing her back into my chest. I… I've never had a girl this close to me before. My hands tremble as I try to find something to hold onto. My hands eventually rest on her belly, pulling her in. "You're gonna protect me big guy?" She asks, peering back at me as I hold her.

I nod, giving my best tough guy face I can manage. She snickers at that, finally pulling away and slipping out of my coat. She then trots over to the money, peeking over it curiously. I hear a 'Whoa...' I get ready to get up and see what she's looking at-

I hear a knock at the door.

As Buttercup is rifling through the money, I make my way over to the door. I lean up against it, my hand on the pistol stuffed in my pants. There are voices outside. It must be room service or something… But why come this late?

"No Yumi stop! We don't have to be loud. Lets use the silencers this time..." Says a light, gentle female voice.

"Fuck that, Dex said to send a message. What better way than with a Spas 12 gauge?" Says a brash, raspy female voice.

My eyes go wide as I push away from the door, maneuvering between the beds. Buttercup looks over to me with a confused expression, but I have no time to explain. I reach for the mattress, throwing it up against the door. Two loud blasts pierce through the door just as I get the mattress up, splintering the frame and collapsing the door upon the mattress. The pellets tear through the bedding, barely missing Buttercup and I. I fall backwards, drawing my gun. I fall on my back against the hotel carpet, pointing my pistol at the coming intruders.

Buttercup covers her head as I fire a few rounds into the door. I hear a small yelp. There's a shadow of someone moving past the big, open window of the hotel. My bullets tear through the window, shattering it as the sounds of the rain become more present. Thunder clashes in the open air. There's no one to be seen.

I hoist Buttercup up by the arm, and we move back towards the bathroom. I push her inside, peering out towards the room itself. It's deadly quiet. The only sounds I hear is the rain pattering against the concrete outside.

"W-who are they?" Buttercup asks.

"Hitmen… Well…. Hitwomen. I guess."

"What?"

I take a deep breathe and then take Buttercup by the hand. I raise my pistol out of the bathroom, pointing it towards the open window and the splintered door. We move slowly, taking one step after another. I make my way over to the closet and sling a bag over my shoulder. Buttercup does the same. I start walking towards the window. Buttercup grabs me by the shoulder. I turn to look at her. She's shaking her head no.

"What should we do then? Stay in here?" I ask, looking back forward.

"You're asking me?" She frantically asks.

I approach the open window, pressing myself up against the wall to get a look at my angles. I notice that there's a shotgun laying on the concrete, a trail of blood leading away from it. No bodies though… I can make out a few people peering from their hotel windows, looking at the chaos that has unfolded. This isn't good. Buttercup can't be made. Not yet.

I leap out from the window, looking about the parking lot for the two female assassins. They are nowhere to be seen. I glance back at Buttercup, "Grab that shotgun."

"What? No!"

"You need to protect yourself." I insist. She grunts with annoyance, climbing out of the destroyed hotel room as she makes her way for the shotgun. She lifts it up, pumping it and causing the two shells to pop free from the chamber. She looks over to me and nods, now ready.

I look back down the sights of my gun. I can't make out anyone in the rain, but I'm sure the two are still out there, licking their wounds. I take a breath, ready to leap forward and hunt them down. Two dead assassins are better than two live ones chasing after Buttercup and me. I take a few steps forward, only to be stopped by Buttercup.

"We need to get out of here. Can you hotwire a car?" I nod in response to her. "Well let's bail!"

I shake my head to Buttercup, "They're gonna keep following us. We should kill em' now." I tell her. I can tell by her face she doesn't like this. She shakes her head at first, looking down and clutching my jacket, but then she lifts her head, hoisting her shotgun to the ready, "O-Ok, tell me what I should do."

"Cover my back, I'll move forward." I say, starting off. Buttercup does as I ask, following behind and keeping an eye on the activity behind us. I make my way towards a car in the parking lot. From there I can get a good look behind the edge of the hotel. I can see two figures by the dumpster, one looking at the other's arm. I watch for a moment, getting an idea of their movements. The one holding the other's arm is making sure to stay on point. She looks left and right, then back to the arm, "I told you we should have gone in quietly."

"FUCK! That hurts so bad…" Says the other girl.

I move up as the soft-spoken one looks down at her friend, ducking behind another car. Buttercup lags behind, and unfortunately is seen by the girl. She lifts her pistol and fires into the rain, shattering a car window just above me as Buttercup slides into cover. We don't hear the shots, only the pings it produces. Buttercup gives a small yelp as the bullets ring against the vehicle we're hiding behind, but its good cover. We're safe. Once the shooting stops I lift myself up and start firing towards the dumpster. Buttercup follows suit, blasting her shotgun towards the two girls. We stop for a moment. The two girls are gone.

I slowly start walking towards the dumpster, gun at the ready. Buttercup stays behind the car, shotgun pointed in my direction to give me cover. I lower my gun once I hear the sirens. The cops are coming. I look back towards Buttercup. She's ready to go. She reaches inside the car that had its window shatter and unlocks it, slipping inside. I turn forward to see a Mercedes speed away, knocking over a few trash cans as it pulls off.

As Buttercup sits in the car waiting, I run back to the room. The sirens are getting louder. Buttercup sticks her head out of the shattered window, calling out to me, "The fuck are you doing? We have to go!" I ignore, her, jumping back into the room and making my way to the closet. I hear a car door slam from outside, and soon enough Buttercup is inside joining me. "The money? We have enough money, let's go!" She yells.

"I had to see my friend Double D die for this money. I'm not leaving it behind. I throw two more duffel bags worth of cash over my shoulder, getting ready to move outside. Buttercup blocks my path. "We don't have to take this cash. We can get more!"

I stop, looking down at her, "What do you mean?" The sirens are getting closer. I can hear one cop car outside skid to a stop. Doors are opening and people are yelling. Its hard to make out over the storm, but there's only a few right now. I hear orders being barked out from a unknown man. "Surround the building! Make sure no one leaves!"

I edge my way back to the window. There are a few cop cars parked outside, a few policemen gathering behind them. I can make out a green skinned man walking around behind the cars, gun drawn. It's Beast Boy. I intake a breath, looking back to Buttercup. "What do you mean we can get more?" She shoves the note from the bag in my hand. On the note are names of different banks in Townsville, including numbers beside them.

"They're safety deposit boxes. Probably holding more of the Killer's funding." She smirks at me, peeking from the window, "We can hit him where it hurts. I can get revenge and you can get paid. Its a win win, but first thing we gotta do is get out of here." She shoves the note in her pocket and draws her shotgun, giving me a look, "Without KILLING any police."

I look outside again, Beast Boy is shouting for a few officers to move up.

I nod as Buttercup hops back out the window. She makes a mad dash for the car, a single duffel bag slung over her shoulder. I follow quickly behind, throwing down the extra two bags and making my way towards the car with her. I hear Beast Boy call out my name from my right side as I sprint towards the car, "Ed, stop! You're under-" He stops though, and I slow down to take a look.

I glance over to him. Beast Boy lowers his gun. He looks confused. Then I realize... Buttercup is with me. Dammit, they've made her! Now they're going to know that Buttercup is alive and that she's working with me. I don't have time to think about that now though. I slip into the driver's seat and duck bellow to start working on hot wiring the car. "Hurry Ed!" I hear to my side, the sounds of boots clodding towards us filling my ears.

Buttercup pulls the shotgun out of her window and fires up into the air. The police scatter, calling out in a panic. It buys me some time. A few shots ring out against the muscle car, and Buttercup dives low to avoid the shots, "Don't fire!" I hear Beast Boy call out, "Cease fire! He has Buttercup!"

As if a sign from God himself, the engine turns on. I quickly reverse the Challenger, pulling back and slamming on the gas. The car peels forward, going over a grassy embankment as I pull towards the open road. The car's radio starts up with Stevie Ray Vaughan's Voodoo Child.

I turn out of the hotel parking lot, driving out of there like a bat outta hell. Its not long before I can see those distant flashing lights getting closer, blue and red splashing color over our dark figures. I keep pushing forward, the Challenger gaining amazing speed. I bite my lip as a cop car gets close.

"Buttercup, shoot out the tires!"

"What?" She asked, looking towards me with a scared look on her face.

"We have to get them off us! Shoot out the tires of that cop car!" She leans out the window, the rain splattering against her bandaged body as she poises her shotgun to the cop car next to us and fires into the tire. The Spas tears apart the rubber tire, sending the cop car spinning out of control until it crashes off the side of the road. I look back in the rear-view mirror. It doesn't look too bad.

Still, as Buttercup slinks back in, she looks shaken. "I-I could have killed him…" She looks to me angrily, punching me in the arm, "I could have killed that guy, Ed!" I lift my arm in a reflex, blocking her punches.

"Ow, stop!" Thankfully for us, we've gathered enough speed to get away from the other cops before they can chase us. I cut off the car's lights and turn off a side street, a dirt road towards a trailer park. I manage to park the car behind a trailer and hide it between it and some trees. I roll my window down, listening for the sirens. I hear them pass, one by one.

"I think we're safe." Buttercup doesn't respond. I turn to look at her and see that she's looking out the window, arms crossed. She seems pissed.

There's a long silence between us. I keep my hands on the wheel, like at any moment we could be speeding off again. "I-I'm sorry." She turns towards me, giving me a look. I feel shamed. I lower my head, giving a little whimper, "I'm sorry I made you do that." My hands grip the wheel tightly. I feel like running, like leaving her to help herself and disappearing into some crappy job again.

She pauses and then laughs, lifting her hand to her face, "I swear to God Ed, what kind of gangster are you? You are the biggest puppy dog I've ever met!" She exclaims. I smile a bit to that, looking out the window. She still likes me… Good.

I feel a pressure on my lap, and turn forward to feel Buttercup climbing onto me… Onto my lap. She swings her leg over, sliding it between me and the car door. "Uhm…" She just smiles at me, taking me by my collar and leaning in to kiss me. I feel my lips against hers. She's warm… Like Buttered Toast, but… Different. She doesn't push her tongue in, like the movies, but it still feels… I dunno, weird. My arms find their way around her, and I pull her in close. She parts with the kiss, looking down at me with batting eyes. Her hands lay on my chest.

"Have you ever been with a woman, Ed?" I shake my head no. I never really got many girls' attention, even after I became a criminal. I got some guys attention in prison… But that wasn't the kind of attention I wanted. I made sure they knew that. I take a deep breath as I start thinking about being with Buttercup. We're both flushed, the rain hitting the roof of the car hard.

"Never again, got it Ed?" She says, laying a finger upon my nose. I nod to my new boss, giving a gulp as she smirks at me, "I don't wanna hurt anyone, Ed. I forbid you from killing anyone without my explicit permission, understand?" I nod in agreement, "Until we corner that bastard who branded me, you keep your gun in your pants." I nod again eagerly.

She then lifts a brow, her hand trailing lower. "With your pants in mind… Let's get them off."

END OF CHAPTER


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